'Stop that urgently.' Possible path to innocence for Russian skater was held back at WADA's urging

When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear embattled Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency, the leader of that organization's reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently," he wrote.

No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva's defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport went on without it. What impact the information could have had on Valieva's case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later become the focal point of a contamination case involving a group of Chinese swimmers who were not sanctioned after testing positive.

Previously undisclosed details, including text exchanges between WADA's director general and another agency executive about what might have been a helpful turn of events for Valieva during the investigation, were revealed to The Associated Press by people familiar with the case. The people shared the information on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution.

The details painted a picture of WADA leadership wanting no connection to an experiment that could've supported Valieva's contamination defense and had been initiated by Russia's anti-doping agency, which at the time was noncompliant after years of wrongdoing. That status brought questions about whether international leaders were serious about making Russia follow the rules.